MY WITCH: Interlude
by NotQuiteNormOld
Summary: One shot. The breathing space between seasons, I thought no one better to shed her opinion because simply - Hay Lin is quiet, observant, and I think the least biased. Plus, there's something wrong with her thoughts, as cryptic as that something might be..


**T**here had always been a comfort, in the silence and tranquillity that - Hay Lin was sure - no one would ever, unless perhaps her Grandmother, have experienced in quite the ways she had. It wasn't an emptiness, that whistled past Hay Lin in the form of whispering breezes.. Rather, it had not been; the scraping of graphite against paper; the crinkling crispness of a tissue being wadded. Every breath of laughter - be it a chortle or giggling - brushed past and had stroked cooly against her cheek, for what she could remember of her whole life.

And perhaps it was her Guardianship: forthcoming as her birthright before it's time.. The wind payed no heed to time, and took it's own pace; creating different types of seconds with every speed, the wind, the breeze, and the air which graced itself to be breathed. There was no emotion too strong, and Hay Lin adored it's flexibility: some saw weakness in it's _inability _to catch, but there was merely a mercy that none other could beckon, to allow it's bait to flutter through; leaving it's mark in it's feel; showing it's emotion, cool, warm, distant and sometimes so close that it was biting.

The wind was easily caught, in some views; in every breath it was trapped and released.

In another's view it was impenetrable, but Hay Lin herself was never so vain. Gases and pollutants filled the air, and she wondered if it would burned or would she notice? If a gas seeped in so deadly, like a voice roaming her mind.. The air itself seemed to claim it was there; that a gas was seeping around her, and if she for one second felt that it was right she might be fearful.

**I**t had been only weeks since Phobos had been captured; the wind itself could not fathom the cause..

Because they hadn't caught him.

No, the wind was preoccupied. Whispering of these pollutants, but Hay Lin already knew it wasn't her.

It was Will.

It was Cornelia.

Irma still tried to have something to laugh about.

Taranee tried to laugh with her.

**H**ay Lin had only taken out one bowl today. And today she resolved that her Grandma could finally have the cot taken down. But it only made her miss it more, because she had been so sure that evil would be vanquished. Maybe not her own thought, but Caleb hadn't asked her to listen so intently, and he had always been so sure that things would be even better than just better again. He'd missed Christmas.

Cornelia was allowed to go to Meridian - she went for Elyon, but the girl had only shrugged when Hay Lin had asked her if he'd got her present. Cornelia didn't really talk about him, and Hay Lin didn't know if they might ever be dating. Cornelia was a lot older than she'd been last year.

She liked to talk about Elyon, though. There was always something to talk about. And Elyon had even sent her back once with dresses. Big, silly, puffy dresses, that might've been a joke the way Cornelia was grinning.

But there was one for Will too.

It didn't fit.

**O**r at least, that was what Cornelia would've told Elyon. The air had caught that whisper, but it might've been true. Because Will didn't say much to deny it, when Hay Lin had asked - Will had only seemed irked by her presence.

That was the gas.

She supposed.

There was something wrong, but no one would say anything. Hay Lin bit her lip when Will walked in. By. She walked by a lot; she ate lunch with Matt. Sometimes, she'd eat lunch with them too - everyone would sit together and Will would be brilliant.

Those were the days that Cornelia was poisoned.

And Cornelia was so angry around Will. It was something about Caleb sometimes. But mostly it was just Will.

Will had changed.

Will wasn't sleeping.

Will was angry at them.

Will didn't have a right.

Will should just suck it up.

Will should just apologise.

Couldn't she see that Will needed to be alone? Will was just fine, and maybe Will liked staying up, and maybe Will didn't want them to be her friends anymore. And that was just fine. Matt wasn't. Matt was a bad influence. Matt was too nice. Will didn't need pity. Couldn't they see that Will needed to be alone?

Will didn't look well.

Will was getting into trouble.

All she needed was to be left _alone_.


End file.
